If a Loved One Is Detained

A checked version of this page, approved on 27 July 2026, was based on this revision.

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General information, not legal advice. These guides are written by the community, laws vary by state, and policies change. For advice about your own situation, talk to an immigration lawyer (how to find a real one, free if needed).

Move in this order: find them, get a lawyer, ask about bond. Panic is normal. The list below is what to do with it.

Step 1: find them

ICE Online Detainee Locator: locator.ice.gov. Search by A-number and country of birth (best), or by name and country. New detentions can take 24 to 48 hours to appear: keep checking.
Call the local ERO field office for your area and ask where they are held.
Court info by phone: 1-800-898-7180 (automated, needs the A-number).
If you cannot find them after two days, a lawyer or the detention hotline can help trace transfers.

Step 2: get a lawyer, avoid fraud

See Finding an Immigration Lawyer. Detained cases move fast, so start immediately. Never pay a "notario" or "immigration consultant": in the US they are not lawyers and fraud is rampant.

Step 3: ask about bond

A lawyer can ask for a bond hearing. Judges look at ties and flight risk, so gather: proof of family here, work history, community and faith letters, medical needs, proof of address.
If bond is set, it is paid at designated ICE offices by a person with lawful status, usually by money order. Get receipts for everything.

Practical support

Money and calls: facilities have commissary and phone accounts you can fund so they can call you. Remember most calls are recorded: no case talk.
Documents: collect their passport, A-number paperwork, any prior immigration filings, medications list. Their lawyer needs all of it.
Children and dependents: activate the Family Preparedness Plan if one exists: caregiver authorization, school contacts, bills.
Transfers happen, sometimes across the country, often without warning. The locator and the lawyer of record are how you keep track.

And when you are ready

If the arrest happened in public or shows a pattern, consider adding it to the public record: How to Report an Incident. Documentation protects the next family.